In an effort to reduce Channel crossings, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans on Monday to double funding for border security in the UK and treat gangs involved in people smuggling as terrorist organizations – The Guardian reports. In his address to Interpol, the British Prime Minister described the gangs as a “serious threat to global security,” calling for international acknowledgement of the gravity of the problem. Arguing that “the world needs to wake up to the severity of this challenge,” Starmer said that “we’re taking our approach to counterterrorism, which we know works, and applying it to the gangs.” Additionally, Starmer declared closer coordination with other nations, cooperation between law enforcement agencies, and undefined “enhanced” law enforcement powers.
Doubling the Border Security Budget
In his proposal, Starmer would raise the two-year budget for the UK Border Security Command from 75 million pounds ($97 million) to 150 million pounds ($194 million). The funds will be used to hire 100 specialized investigators and purchase advanced surveillance equipment.
Similar to earlier Conservative British administrations, Starmer’s Labour Party administration is having difficulty preventing thousands of people who are fleeing poverty and conflict from attempting to enter the UK from France in rickety, crammed boats.
Although fewer than in 2022, more than 31,000 migrants have so far this year crossed the treacherous route of one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. This is more than in 2023 overall. According to French officials, at least 56 people have died in the attempts this year, making 2024 the deadliest since the number of channel crossings started to rise in 2018.
When he visited Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni in September, Starmer, who leads a center-left government, caused some astonishment by praising her nationalist conservative government’s “remarkable” progress in lowering the number of migrants arriving in Italy by boat. Starmer argued on Monday that “there’s nothing progressive about turning a blind eye as men, women, and children die in the channel.”
The opposition Conservative Party disputes that Starmer should not have scrapped the previous government’s plan to send some asylum seekers who reach Britain by boat on one-way trips to Rwanda. Supporters of the proposal say it would act as a deterrent. Human rights groups and many lawyers say it is unethical and unlawful to send migrants thousands of miles to a country they don’t want to live in.
Starmer Tough Stance on Migration
Starmer called the plan a “gimmick” and canceled it soon after he was elected in July. Britain paid Rwanda hundreds of millions of pounds for the plan under a deal signed by the two countries in 2022, without any deportations taking place.
Earlier, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, and Sir Keir concurred during the fourth summit of the European Political Community (EPC) that there was “no easy silver bullet” to stop small boats from crossing the English Channel. “Strengthen their cooperation on irregular migration” and “reinvigorate” their defense partnership were the two promises made by Macron and Stramer.
Macron emphasized that greater European cooperation is necessary to resolve the migration crisis. Starmer also mentioned the smuggling gang network as the No. 1 issue that needs to be resolved.